Recommended armor sets for when using the dual blades in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Included are the best armor pieces to use as you progress from early to late game.

Dual Blade Armor Sets

The dual blades’ high damage-per-second allows you to easily burst down a monster’s health, especially when in demon mode. The weapon, however, suffers from poor reach, forcing you to fight monsters dangerously close. This makes it almost mandatory to master demon step, a unique evasive maneuver that allows you to dance around your foe while maintaining pressure. Because of this, skills that reduce stamina consumption are vital. Maintaining the dual blades’ sharpness is also important, as landing flurries of attacks quickly dulls your weapon.

Increases the window of invincibility when dodging. Allows you to consistently stay on the offensive up close thanks to demon mode’s unique demon step maneuver.

Mushroomancer

Allows you to eat mushrooms. Effects range from healing to enhancing various parameters in battle. Consuming Devil’s Blight, for instance, reduces the stamina expended when performing offensive and evasive actions in demon mode.

Speed Sharpening

Shortens the time needed to sharpen weapons. Allows you to resume combat immediately. Great for dual blades, which lose sharpness easily through rapid attacks. Synergizes well with protective polish.

Protective Polish

Prevents losing weapon sharpness 60 seconds after sharpening.

Razor Sharp / Spare Shot

Halves sharpness loss.

Rarity 3

Equipment

Skill

Decorations

Head

Bone Helm

Health Boost (Level 1)

–

Chest

Bone Mail

Attack Boost (Level 1)

–

Arms

Kadachi Vambraces

Evade Extender (Level 1)

–

Waist

Jagras Coil

Fortify (Level 1)

–

Legs

Alloy Greaves

Speed Sharpening (Level 1)

–

Activated Skills

Skills

Attack Boost (Level 1)

Health Boost (Level 1)

Fortify (Level 1)

Evade Extender (Level 1)

Speed Sharpening (Level 1)

Basic equipment set that offers good survivability for the early game. Fortify is a good skill to have as it increases attack power and defense each time you faint.

Activated Skills

Skills

Health Boost (Level 2)

Weakness Exploit (Level 1)

Critical Eye (Level 1)

Recovery Up (Level 1)

A decent upgrade over the previous set, with health boost and recovery up for better survivability. The 15% affinity increase from critical eye triggers critical hits from time to time, enhancing offense as well.

Rarity 7

Equipment

Skill

Decorations

Head

Rathalos Helm β

Attack Boost (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Chest

Rathalos Mail β

Weakness Exploit (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Arms

Odogaron Arm α

Constitution (Level 1), Critical Eye (Level 1)

–

Waist

Odogaron Coil β

Critical Eye (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Legs

Rathalos Greaves α

Jump Master, Weakness Exploit (Level 1)

–

Charm

Attack Charm II

Attack Boost (Level 2)

–

Activated Skills

Skills

Attack Boost (Level 4)

Weakness Exploit (Level 3)

Health Boost (Level 3)

Critical Eye (Level 3)

Jump Master

Constitution

This set offers a well-rounded pool of useful skills. It is reliable enough that it can be used to clear the main story. Has impressive damage potential thanks to the huge affinity granted by weakness exploit and critical eye. Overall attack power is increased with attack boost.

Rarity 8

Equipment

Skill

Decorations

Head

Dragonking Eyepatch α

Weakness Exploit (Leve 2)

Exploiter Jewel (1)

Chest

Nergigante Mail α

Stamina Surge (Level 2), Agitator (Level 1)

Attack Boost (1)

Arms

Nergigante Vambraces α

Agitator (Level 1), Attack Boost (Level 1)

–

Waist

Nergigante Coil α

Attack Boost (Level 2)

–

Legs

Nergigante Crus α

Evade Extender (Level 2), Handicraft (Level 1)

Exploiter Jewel (2)

Charm

Health Charm III

Health Boost (Level 3)

–

Activated Skills

Skills

Attack Boost (Level 4)

Weakness Exploit (Level 3)

Stamina Surge (Level 2)

Health Boost (Level 3)

Agitator (Level 3)

Evade Extender (Level 2)

Handicraft (Level 1)

Armor set consisting of pieces made from materials from three different elder dragons. Prioritizes dealing damage with skills such as agitator, weakness exploit, handicraft, and attack boost. Improves stamina recovery to accommodate frequent use of demon mode with stamina surge.

End Game

Equipment

Skill

Decorations

Weapon

Zirael

Elementless Jewel (2)

Head

Drachen Armet α

Critical Boost (Level 1), Airborne

Chest

Drachen Mail α

Critical Eye (Level 2), Critical Boost (Level 1)

Exploiter Jewel Jewel (2), Attack Jewel (1)

Arms

Drachen Vambraces α

Critical Eye (Level 2), Attack Boost (Level 2)

Critical Eye Jewel (1)

Waist

Empress Coil γ

Evade Window (Level 2), Health Boost (Level 2)

Critical Eye Jewel (1)

Legs

Drachen Greaves α

Attack Boost (Level 2), Critical Boost (Level 1)

Critical Eye Jewel (1)

Charm

Evasion Charm III

Evade Window (Level 3)

Activated Skills

Skills

Critical Eye (Level 7)

Evade Window (Level 5)

Attack Boost (Level 4)

Weakness Exploit (Level 3)

Critical Boost (Level 3)

Health Boost (Level 2)

Airborne

Non-elemental Boost

Soul of the Dragoon (Set Bonus)

Armor set consisting mostly of Drachen pieces forged from Behemoth materials. Boasts high affinity which allows you to consistently land critical hits with blade dance and demon flurry. Evade window level 5 allows for better survivability as well. The Drachen armor set bonus minimizes loss of sharpness, which is extremely favorable for a high damage-per-second weapon like the dual blades.